Most Recent Messages in Coping

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Recent Pacemaker Insertion 3 weeks ago

Hope everyone is well. I'm 34 years old very active and in the military. I recently received my pacemaker 3 weeks ago due to an vasovagal syncope episode I had in the hospital while battling Covid in which I was found unresponsive and my heart stopped for 10 seconds. I had already had tests ran on my heart 2 weeks prior to hospitalization due to chest pain which consisted of an EKG, stress test, and ultrasound and they all came back clean. The Cardiologist checked the telem...

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Accepting Your Heart Condition

I had a 3rd-degree complete heart block on February 8, 2021, with two stents and a dual-chamber heart pacer, implanted.  It is now 6-months on and I have had some issues with pacer pocket infection and my pacer removed pocket clean and dead tissue remove and my dual chamber pacer reinstalled in the same pocket.  Since the infection, my pacer tends to move in the pocket and gets hung up on my chest muscle that tends to hurt but it will pop back out.  Doc says it will heal a...

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34 and terrified

Hi all, been following this forum for the past couple days. And I'm fairly certain I will be asked to join the club soon.

I have had minor chest pains all my life (EDIT: mainly to mental stress, this was my initial complaint to get me to see a cardio), exercise almost daily without incident, have never fainted. I also struggle with severe anxiety and depression symptoms and am in the care of a licensed therapist. My habit is to go between stages of "extreme worry" and...

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How I think

I thought I'd post about a recent experience that illustrates just how living with heart issues, including having a pacemaker since January, has affected the way I think--maybe some will get a chuckle. Maybe some day I won't be so dumb!

This past weekend I did not feel my best. I was fatigued, my body ached, I had digestion issues & therefore no appetite, I barely left my bed (except for frequent bathroom trips!) The whole time, I'm trying to figure out the problem: ...

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After 3 months still soreness.

After 3 months I have started playing golf again.  But I still get some soreness around the pacemaker.   The scar is quite ugly, (surgeon never did needlework as a kid)  Feels as if the scar is rubbing on the top of the pacemaker.   Should  I give it more healing time?

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Waking up same time overnight

I had pacemaker December 2019. Most nights I wake up around four and sometimes other times. Prior to my surgery cardiologist said my heart was stopping around 4. Is it likely I am waking up because it is kicking in or physiological   Just wish I could sleep

 

thank you

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Pain

Just want to say how comforting and informative this group has been for me.

I have a question.  Does anyone experience pain sometimes in the pacemaker.  I know it is working because I track it on my fit bit

Thanks for your input

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Is it me or ?

New guy to the forum here.

i am 69 and just had my His bundle ablated (2 weeks ago) and am now pacer dependent. I have been using a pacer since 2003. I have had a mitral valve repair done in 1992 and a pericardial scrapping done in 1993. I had a right side madula stroke in Dec 2020. 95% recovered. My problem is.....I get very short of breath without a lot of exercise and cannot stay away from taking a nap every afternoon. My EP says I need more time to heal. I thought since the bun...

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Update- New Discovery

Hi everyone! 

Ok so for quite a while now I have not been able to sleep on my right side. At first I couldn't breathe well, then it turned into the presyncope feeling if I stayed in the position too long. It happened quite a few times but lately its even worse. I think I found something but not sure what it means. SO when laying on my back I measured my BP. It was 118/77. I then laid on my right side and measured my BP within two mins of the first. It was then 94/61....

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Any suggestions or ideas?

Hello everyone! 

Lately I've had some good days and some bad days. What remains the common denominator is my legs AND when I lie down quickly on my back. Let me explain. Imagine taking an antibacterial wipe, putting it on the floor, and using your feet to scrub the kitchen floor with it. Every time I do the exact same thing I feel horrible after for over an hour. My chest feels like its not getting enough oxygen. I can't explain it. I breathe fine but its just not...

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struggling

HI FOLKS I RECENTLY WROTE TO THE CLUB ABOUT MY RECENT INCREASE IN PVCS WHICH MY GP TOLD ME WAS BECAUSE OF MY ANXIETY. HE SUGGESTED I INCREASE MY LEXAPRO FROM 10 MG TO 20. WELL I DID AND I CANT BELIEVE HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT IT HAS ON ME. I FEEL LATHARGIC AND TIRED  AND IM REALLY NOT LIKING IT. I ALSO STARTED TAKING MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENTS TO SEE IF THAT WILL HELP. IVE BEEN ON LEXAPRO FOR AROUNG 8 MONTHS STARTED WITH 5 THEN 10 NOW 20. I FEEL MOST DOCTORS JUST LIKE TO THROW MEDICINE AT YOU. I...

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I think I need to talk to people who experienced the same thing

I got pacemaker surgery 2017, when I was 20. I was unconscious at that time, but soon after I regretted getting the surgery. I can't move on with life like I used to before. I wish I can hear more positive thoughts from you guys. 

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Fast heart rate under a minute

Hello everyone. I have a dual chamber pacemaker for a complete heart block... and there have been a few times during the past year where I'll wake up in the middle of night really thirsty with a dry throat and I'll sit up to have some water but all of a sudden my heart rate will go a bit fast and I can feel my heart pounding on my chest. This usually last 30 seconds to a minute. And maybe has happened like 7/8 times in the last year... I have told my cardiologist and he says that can...

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Confused and overwhelmed

I had my lead revision done on June 30th and feel even more confused and overwhelmed than before.

The doctor came in after they moved me out of recovery and told us that I have been having bouts of high heart rates. He said that he wanted to start me on 25mg metoprolol twice a day. The nurse came in to give me the first dose and said that she was uncomfortable because my BP was so low(running between 95/65 and 113/70). She called the doctor and he called my room somewhat irritated. He n...

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Only 28 Years Old

Hello Friends,

For the past year or so I had been waking up in the middle of the night and fainting. I would get up to use the restroom - and by the time I got back to bed - my heart rate would tank and I would lose consciousness. On July 7th, 2021 I went in for a Tilt Table Test. During my procedure my heart rate plummeted into the 20's, my blood pressure was so low that the machine could not read it, and my heart paused for 20 seconds. The surgeon came in and told m...

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Pacemaker and AFib

Pacemaker implanted 7 weeks ago, have been in AFib several times, one lasting 32 hours.  12 days ago they " turned on" my pacemaker to assist with Afib, I have a new Medtronic that is to recognize when you are in AFib and take control and bring you out of it.  Within 24 hours I went into AFib for about 4 hours, I felt nothing, but?  Then it hit me again hard on Saturday, HR was over 120 felt some pain in R arm and chest area, so I went to the ER.  They observed h...

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scar tissue

Hello everyone, 

 

I was just sat in my living room thinking about pacemakers and I had a thought. Scar tissue caused by myocardial infarction (heart attack) and scar tissue caused by cardiomyopathies can cause electrical impulses that cause potential dangerous arrhythmia. Does anyone know if this is the same as the scar tissue caused by pacemaker leads in the heart? 

If this is the case perhaps this could be a cause of some of my NSVT, or other...

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icd /defibrillator

I had my ICD 2 months ago and I still find the site very sensative , seatbelt , bra strap ... etc

How long before it gets better :( any idea . please help !!

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Four Months Since PM Insert

So after having the St. Jude placed on 02.25.21 I joined this forum and posted my thoughts and fears which the responses that I received were excellent and helpful.  Here we are 4 months later and I still am having some "MINOR" issues. This past Saturday night I was getting ready to go to bed and my heart felt like a flat tire being driven at 100 mph.  I should've pressed the button on the monitor but didn't.  It was a weird and horrible experience. I don...

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Surgery is Monday

Well, my surgery is Monday morning. I just wanted to post some feelings I'm having. Really just a way to get things off my chest. I don't want to burden my wife anymore than I have to. 

Let me start by telling yall (yes, I'm from Texas) about my year. My mom got Covid in January and within 11 days they had to vent her and she had a massive heart attack and passed away. Losing her like that has been so hard. I lost my dad to cancer 7 years ago so now both of my parents a...

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Member Quotes

It may be the first time we've felt a normal heart rhythm in a long time, so of course it seems too fast and too strong.